CHAPTER II. The Fetish

The last twenty yards of the ordeal were covered in silence except for the steady splash of Lad’s paws. Reaching the dock, the Master extended a hand, grasped the constable’s soaking collar, and hauled the inert mass of humanity up onto the stringpiece. Then he reached down for Lad.

The collie was almost as inert as the man he had saved. His mighty,effort, coupled with the stunning shock of fear that had clutched him when he felt both their bodies sinking beneath the lake’s surface, had drained his strength for the moment. But, under the Master’s hands, he scrambled to safety.

With water streaming from his sodden coat, Lad shook himself vigorously, scattering a fine spray in all directions. He stood there, on the
dock, his sides heaving, his deep-set eyes watching the still form of Wefers. The constable lay gasping, his gaze fixed on the dog that had
rescued him from drowning.

The episode under the catalpa tree, the mad dog scare, the threat of death—all these faded into insignificance beside the new understanding
that flickered in Wefers’ eyes as he struggled to an elbow and stared at Lad.

Slowly, awkwardly, as if unused to such action, Homer Wefers extended a hand towards the collie. It was a rough, potent gesture of
reconciliation, of atonement. Lad, sensitive to the change in the human mood as always, moved forward, his tail wagging slightly. He nosed the offered hand in gentle acknowledgment.

The Mistress and the Master stood by, watching this tableau unfold. Relief and a sense of vindication filled them. The unwelcome visit, fraught with danger and altercation, had transformed into a scene of redemption through the brave intervention of their beloved dog.
The immediate menace to Lad’s life was over, dispelled not by force or legal argument but by an act of heroism. The bond between the Mistress, the Master, and their devoted collie was stronger than ever—a bond not even a fanatic’s misplaced zeal could sever.

In the days that followed, the story of Lad’s bravery and his rescue of Wefers would pass into local lore. The collie’s act of saving the very man who had come to destroy him spoke more eloquently than any words could of the loyalty, courage, and intelligence that were the essence of Lad. And in the hearts of those who knew him best, Lad’s status as a hero was forever assured.